Over 5.134 million tons of wheat procured

ISLAMABAD, Apr 28 (APP): Wheat procurement campaign across the grain producing areas in the country was in full swing as 74.42% procurement tasks set for current season has been completed.
Under wheat procurement campaign for crop season 2021-22 over 5.134 million tons of wheat so far procured as against the set target of 6.900 million tons in order to maintain strategic reserves of the country as well as keeping the demand and supply smooth in local markets, said Food Security Commissioner Dr Imtiaz Ali Gopang.
Talking to APP here on Thursday, he said that Punjab Province has completed 83.53% of its procurement targets as it has procured about 3.341 million tons of grains as compared the set targets of 4 million tons.
Meanwhile, Sindh has completed 47.30% task by mid of current month and it procured 662,261 metric tons of wheat as against the set targets of 1.400 million tons, he added.
He said that wheat procurement figures from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were not received yet, where as Balochistan has procured 12,255 metric tons of wheat as it completed about 12% of its assigned task for current season.
The Food Security Commissioner further informed that Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation has also procured about 1.119 million tons of grains from different areas as it established its procurement centers to facilitate the growers.
Dr Imtiaz said that local output of major cash crop of the country was estimated at 26.173 million tons as against the set targets of 28.885 million tons, adding that wheat production witnessed about 9% decrease during current season.
He further informed that local wheat consumption for current season were estimated at 30.97 million tons with an average per-capita consumption of 115 kg per annum.
It is worth mentioning here that government had set a target to procure about 6.900 million tons of wheat during current season in order to fulfill the domestic requirements as well as keeping the strategic reserves, besides keeping demand and supply at smooth level in local markets across the country.
The provincial governments had also finalized their all arrangements and initiated procurement campaign for current season and also established their procurement centers to facilitate the growers to sell their produces at official fixed rates.
Besides, the Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) had also setup the procurement centers in different areas and distributed areas in zones, he said adding that arrangements for the distribution of gunny bags were also aligned to facilitate the farmers.